WHAT IS "INSUFFICIENT WORK CREDITS"?

Insufficient work credits will prevent you from getting any Social Security disability (SSDI) payments, even if you are disabled.

Insufficient work credits means that you have not worked long enough OR recently enough to be covered.

Simply put, SSDI benefits cover only workers, not the general population. A worker pays into the Social Security program by contributing FICA withholding out of each payroll check. But if the individual has not worked, or has stopped working several years ago, then he/she has not paid enough into Social Security to be covered.

Here is the general rule on work credits: You must have worked at least 5 years out of the most recent ten-year period. (It does not have to be full-time work). For example: In the period between 2013 to 2023, you must have performed qualifying work for 5 years out of that period.

THE IMPORTANCE OF "DATE LAST INSURED" OR DLI

Social Security disability (SSDI) has a beginning and ending date. Your coverage begins at a certain date and ends at a certain date after you stop working. The date you are no longer insured for new Social Security disability claims is called your "Date Last Insured" or DLI. Your DLI is generally 4 to 5 years after you stop working and paying in.

For example, let's say your DLI is September 30, 2024. This means you are insured for new claims until 9/30/24. Practically, you have until 9/30/24 to file a NEW claim for SSDI benefits. After that date you are no longer insured for disability by the Social Security Administration.

What Happens if You Become Disabled After you DLI?

So, your DLI was 9/30/24 but you don't become disabled (unable to work) until 2/1/25, for example. At that time you are not insured by Social Security. However, you may still file one (and only one) disability claim AFTER the DLI. Here's the catch: If your DLI is expired, you must prove that your disability began BEFORE your DLI (or while you were still insured).

So, in our example your DLI was 9/30/24 but you file a new application for benefits on 2/1/15. You must show that your "onset date" of disability was before 9/30/24. Even if you prove that you became disabled anytime after 9/30/24, they will be no benefit because you were not insured at the time you first became disabled.

Obviously, the more remote your DLI, the harder time you will have getting benefits. If your DLI was only 6 months ago, it may be relatively easy that you disabled earlier than 6 months ago. However, if you DLI was 10 yieiars ago, it may be hard to prove that you became disabled 10 years ago.

Here is the practical point of all this: Don't wait too long to file your disability claim after you stop working. The longer you wait, the harder it will be.

QUESTION? I am receiving SSDI benefits now. When my DLI rolls around, do my benefits stop?

ANSWER: Absolutely not. The DLI no longer applies after you are approved for benefits. The DLI applies only to filing a NEW application for benefits.

QUESTION: I haven't worked in about 9 years but before I stopped I worked for 37 years and paid into Social Security. Does that not count?

ANSWER: No, not for disability purposes. You must be presently insured at the time your disability began. Take this example: I paid my auto insurance into the Ajax Auto Insurance Company for 37 years without missing a payment. Then I got sick and skipped my premium payment for a few months. My Ajax policy expired. Six months later I had a wreck. Won't Ajax still pay for my accident? No. Even though I paid them faithfully for 37 years, my insurance was not in force at the time of my wreck. So, I have no coverage. It isn't enough that I was insured in the PAST. I must be insured at the time I file a claim.